Effect of Gastrodiae Rhizoma cultivation under forest stands on runoff, erosion, and nutrient loss

Abstract:(1) Background: Understory planting of Chinese herbal medicine is a common soil and water conservation farming measure, and this approach makes full use of the natural conditions of the understory, but a large number of studies on soil erosion have focused on the simulation of natural conditions indoors, and there are very few investigations on soil erosion caused by understory planting in the field, and the present study aims to provide theoretical references and data support for the sustainable development of understory Chinese herbal medicine.(2) Methods: To reveal the nutrient loss characteristics of understory planting of Gastrodiae Rhizoma, runoff plots were set up in the field, and three surface slopes (5°, 15°, 20°) were designed to collect runoff sediments and compare the soil and water loss between the natural slopes and the slopes planted with Gastrodiae Rhizoma, to investigate the flow and sand production characteristics of understory planting on sloping cropland with different slopes and the loss of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients carried by it, to provide a basis for the restoration of vegetation cover and the enhancement of soil fertility.(3) Results: The loss of soil and water and nitrogen and phosphorus in forested land planted with Gastrodiae Rhizoma increased significantly compared with that in natural forested land, and the greater the slope, the greater its loss.(4) Conclusions: Planting Gastrodiae Rhizoma should be avoided in areas with large slopes and serious soil erosion, and some soil and water conservation engineering measures can be taken, such as the construction of retaining walls, drainage ditches, etc.to minimize the scouring and erosion of the soil by rainwater.